The invention relates to a servicing device that can be moved along an open end spinning frame of the type having a plurality of open-end spinning assemblies. The servicing device includes means for opening the spinning assemblies and means for associating a cleaning device with the open ends of the respective spinning rotors which are made accessible by the opening of respective spinning assemblies.
In a known construction (German AS No. 2,008,142, FIGS. 3 and 4) a suction tube is provided as a cleaning device, on which a stripping element made as a spring or the like is disposed. In this construction use is made of the circumstance that the spinning rotor continues to run during the cleaning process because of its mass inertia, so that it passes by the stripping blade or element with its surfaces that are to be cleaned. A cleaning device of this kind cannot be used if the spinning rotor has already been stopped. This stopping of the spinning rotor occurs automatically in many known open-end spinning frames, upon the opening of the spinning assembly in question. In most cases there is a brake which stops the rotor.
A suction device is known (German Gebrauchsmuster No. 7,523,558) for a primarily manual cleaning of a spinning rotor, said device presenting a mouth piece that has a crownlike widening at its free end, which has projections that can be introduced into a yarn collecting groove of a spinning rotor. This crownlike widening can consist of stiff bristles. This cleaning device also can function only if the spinning rotor turns during the cleaning operation.
Automatic opening of a spinning assembly and subsequent introduction of a cleaning device which has a cleaning brush into the spinning rotor, when there is a yarn break, is also known, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,532 (German OS No. 1,933,930). Here also there is the condition that the spinning rotor will still turn during the cleaning process, because otherwise there will be no cleaning.
The invention is addressed to the problem of creating a servicing device that can clean a spinning rotor of a spinning assembly when the rotor is no longer turning. The invention contemplates that the cleaning device has a brush that penetrates into the rotor, which brush is provided with a drive for execution of the cleaning movements.
The cleaning device constructed in this way functions independently, whether or not the spinning rotor is turning.
Since in the cleaning operation not only yarn residues but also impurities that are more or less stuck fast have to be removed from the spinning rotor, it is advantageous if the brush has bristles that are as firm and rigid as possible. In this case it is advantageous according to preferred embodiments of the invention, if the brush is smaller than the diameter of the open side of the spinning rotor and is disposed on a holder that is driven in a circular motion, directed concentrically with reference to the rotor. In this arrangement a movement of rotation additionally overlays the cleaning rotary motion of the brush, whereby the brush successively is presented to all important places, especially the whole extent of the yarn collecting groove of the spinning rotor.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, multiple embodiments in accordance with the present invention.